People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 6 March 1913, Page 41

People We Hear About

News has lately reached England intimating the death in Straits Settlement of Mr Geoffrey Esmonds, the brother of Sir Thomas Gratton Esmonde. M.P. His Holiness the Pope has created Sir Joseph Michael Redmond, ex-president of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, a Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulchre. Sir Edward Shea, formerly President of the Legislative Council, Newfoundland, died at St. John's & on January 17, aged 93. Sir Edward, who was a Catholic, was reputed to be the oldest active legislator in the British Empire. Probably nine out of every ten of those acquainted with the works of 'John Ayscough' would mispronounce the pen-name of Mgr. Bickerstaffe-Drew (says the Universe). Some time ago an American journal informed its readers that it was spoken ' Askew,' but now Benziger's Magazine says it is ' as'ku.' The'latter is probably the more correct. Perhaps ' John Ayscough' would not mind being a, little autobiographical and tell us how he came by the name. Was it mere fancy, or is there a significance ? The death took place lately, at Glassburn House, Beauly, of Mrs Marie Frances Chisholm, widow of Captain Archibald Chisholm of the Black Watch, who died in 1887. Mrs. Chisholm was the last representative of the old Jacobite and Catholic families of Farquharson, of Balmoral, and Innes, of Ballogie, Aberdeenshire. Her grandfather, Lewis Farquharson Innes, was born in the old castle of Balmoral, and inherited the Innes properties of Ballogie, Balnacraig, and MidBeltie. The Innes family shared the Stuart exile at St. Germain. ' Time was when I walked the streets of London penniless,' said Dr. J. T. Macnamara, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, in his speech at the Albert Hall. ' I had acted as locum tenens all over the country before it happened,' he told an interviewer. 'When all things Irish fell into grave disrepute in London at the time of the Phoenix Park murder, my agent found it quite impossible to get me another job. Consequently for some four or five weeks I was forced to tramp the streets hungry and penniless. At the best my daily meal consisted of a bit of bread, with a cup of tea, if I was lucky. Gradually the hatred against the Irish subsided, and I succeeded in getting back into business again.' Dr. Macnamara's salary as Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty is £2OOO a year. Among the Irish Catholic Hierarchy there are a number of Bishops who were born in the same year (remarks an exchange). Cardinal Logue, Archbishop Healy, Archbishop Walsh, Most Rev. Dr. Gaughran (Bishop of Meath), Most Rev. Dr. Browne (Bishop of Ferns), Most Rev. Dr. Hoare (Bishop of Ardagh), and Most Rev. Dr. O'Dwyer (Bishop of Limerick) were all born between 1839 and 1842. His Grace the Archbishop of Cashel (Most Rev. Dr. Fennelly), Most Rev. Dr. Sheehan (Bishop of Waterford), Most Rev. Dr. Browne (Bishop of Cloyne), and Most Rev. Dr. Mangan (Bishop of Kerry) were born between 1845 and 1846. The oldest members of the Irish Hierarchy are the Most Rev. Dr. Brownrigg (Bishop of Ossory), who is 78, and the Most Rev. Dr. O'Callaghan (Bishop of Cork), who is 76. The Province of Connaught has the youngest Bishops: Most Rev. Dr. Morrisroe (Bishop of Achonry) being only 44, whilst the Bishops of Killaloe and Confert are both under 50. The Most Rev. Dr. O'Donnell (Bishop of Raphoe) was consecrated Bishop at the remarkably early age of 33, nearly 25 years ago; and the Most Rev. Dr. McKenna (Bishop of Clogher) was only 40 when he was consecrated, about four years ago. The number of Irish Bishops who were appointed to their sees at a very early age, from professors' chairs in Maynooth College, is remarkable and very interesting to note. They include the present Cardinal" Primate, Archbishops Walsh and Healy, and the Bishops of Galway, Clonfert, Raphoe, Cloyne, and Killaloe, and the Most Rev. Dr. Mannix, who was consecrated Coadjutor-Arch-bishop of Melbourne a few months ago.